Crisis has erupted in the New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP), Ondo state, over the replacement of its governorship candidate on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.
The Acting National Secretary of the party, Comrade Ogini Olaposi Sunday, said in Akure , the state capital, that the replacement of the candidate that emerged at the governorship primary of the party by the Kwankwaso’s followers was unacceptable to the party.
Recall that Hon Olugbenga Edema recently replaced the party’s candidate, Oluwatosin Ayeni, who withdrew from the race as the governorship placeholder of the party.
The State Chairman of NNPP, Mr. Peter Olagookun, then said that Ayeni willingly withdrew his candidacy to give way for a better candidacy of the party.
Edema, who dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), was unveiled at the NNPP’s special meeting held in the state capital.
His name has since been listed on INEC’s portal as the party’s candidate in the November 16 governorship election in the state.
But, surprisingly, the Acting National Secretary of the party, Ogini Olaposi Sunday, has declared another candidate as the party’s flagbearer in the governorship election.
Ogini said the party’s leadership has dragged INEC to court for accepting the replacement of the party’s governorship candidate, Gbenga Edema, presented by Kwankwaso’s loyalists.
He described Kwankwaso’s loyalists as fake members of the party, declaring that Kwankwaso had ceased to be a member of NNPP.
According to him “Engineer Akintan Michael is the governorship candidate of the party, while Chief Mrs. Kemi Fasua is the deputy governorship candidate of the party.
“The leadership of NNPP in the Southwest secured the consent of the founder of NNPP, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam to file a suit at the Federal High Court, Akure to compel INEC to update the name of Engr. Akintan Michael and Chief Mrs. Kemi Fasua as the governorship and deputy governorship candidate of the party for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.
“The national leadership of NNPP shall also pursue to a logical conclusion another suit filed at the Ondo State High Court, Akure against Mr. Gbenga Edema who was illegally nominated and fielded by the illegal Kwankwasian group of expelled Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso against the constitution of Federal Republic and Electoral Act.
“Gbenga Edema was never a member of NNPP and that the best we know of him is that he is a bonafide member of All Progressives Congress (APC) and also a governorship aspirant in APC. Therefore, it is for any lawless group to make him a candidate of a constitutional political party like NNPP.
Ogini added that “The Southwest leaders hereby agreed with the National leadership of NNPP that Mr. Gbenga Edema is unknown to the party and therefore declared persona non grata in our party.”
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